Category: Travel

I just came back from an exciting experience. I visited Kenia! Now that’s different. Touring Kenya in a Land Rovers… a great African adventure. We spent 10 days cruising through this amazing country and enjoyed the most dramatic sights as we passed by Hells Gate, the Great Rift Valley, Crater Lake, Lake Nakuru National Park, Lake Elementaita, Lake Magadi, one more example of Kenia’s natural beauty, and Kenia’s capital Nairobi.One of my favorite moments was seeing the flamingos.

This is what my 10-day travel schedule looked like

Day 1. Today I took an impressive Nairobi city tour which familiarized me of its rich history, culture, and art. I visited the Nairobi Museum, snake park, and botanical garden. I had dinner and stayed overnight at my Nairobi hotel

Day2. I left early for a 4-hour Mt. Longonot hike through the Great Rift Valley where I learned all about hiking skills, volcanic activities of the amazing active mountain. Later I went to Hells Gate, the only walking park in Kenya, with an amazing diversified flora and fauna, hot springs, and gorges and the amazing Fischer’s tower. I had dinner and stayed overnight at the Naivasha hotel.

For the majority of us, our cars are used to get us from A to B. Unfortunately, or realistically I should say is that A to B for most is from home to work, home to the supermarket or home to some other destination which proves of no real excitement.

The beauty of road tripping is turning B into a destination far away and while it may be time-consuming and have its ups and downs, like car insurance renewal, flat tires and maybe breakdowns- its is better to look at it optimistically and come to the realization that you will begin an experience like no other. This Volvo commercial pictures it so beautifully:

Don’t get me wrong, flying obviously has its many and obvious benefits but with them come the hassles of being there on time, breathing recirculated air with 100 other people, being told to sit when and where you have to (I always feel like a child again), security hassles, baggage restrictions and unless you get lucky, soaring prices.

A couple of days ago, I was interviewed by the Bestgedclasses website on how to how to be successful, without a degree and be able to travel even with a full-time job. When the interviewer asked me how many vacation days I have taken in 2017, including weekends and any days the office was closed for holidays, I realized it was 50 and I did all my running as well!

50 days! In one year I traveled 50 days while holding down a full-time job, freelance projects as a travel writer, running all the runs I run, and still had a social life at the same time. Had someone presented this idea to me, I would have thought it was impossible in regards to both time and money. But I did it. Take also a look at this great video about how to be smart and work full-time and still find the time to travel the world:

Here’s how the days broke out:

3 days in January to see my in-laws (well, actually my fiance’s parents) in Cleveland over Martin Luther King Day weekend and running there. No time off work needed.

3 day weekend in April for our engagement anniversary in Lake Placid, 1 vacation day taken.

3 day weekend in April to go to Boston, 1 personal day taken.

11 days at the end of May and beginning of June for Iceland and Norway to participate in the great run-off. I used 6 days vacation days and received 1 day off for Memorial Day Weekend, plus 4 weekend days.

2 day weekend in June to Alaska with my dad for a fishing trip. No time taken off from work.

Maine is the northeasternmost state in the U.S. Maine is known for the state’s beautiful and spectacular rocky coastline, its nature, maritime history, lighthouses, and Acadia National Park. You can find plenty of moose in Maine’s Baxter State Park where also Mount Katahdin is foud, the Appalachian Trail’s endpoint. This post offers you some beautiful destinations to cross off your Maine Bucket list The following video shows you 30 of Maine’s more than overall 60 lighthouses.

Beautiful lighthouses are spread out along the state’s coastline, so check out, for example, Cape Neddick Lighthouse, one of America’s most photographed lighthouses, or Portland Headlight Lighthouse built in 1791. It is situated on the south entrance of Portland Harbor in Cape Elizabeth. Visiting Portland Head Light is a must when you’re visiting Maine. The lighthouse has a very rich history going back all the way to George Washington. The following are on my Maine Bucket list. See if they’re also on yours!

This came to my mind last night again and I want to share this with you. It isn’t a story about an epic climbing trip or traveling to the far ends of the earth. This isn’t a story about a heroic adventure, or pushing the limits in some daring journey. This is a story about the little things in life. It’s a story about family. It’s a story about helping my dad check off one line from his bucket list.

This story started in August 2016 when my husband and I decided it was time to stop paying rent and start building a home. We found an old 1950’s dilapidated cracker box that we thought had endless “potential”. At least, I could see the potential. My husband, on the other hand, needed A LOT of convincing. The closing day finally came, and the work started immediately.

One little problem with the house led to another and by the end, we had nearly re-built the entire house from the ground up. We replaced most of the plumbing and most of the wiring. We tore walls down and replaced every window in the house. We refinished the floors and re-roofed the house. Nearly every free second of my life was consumed with working on our home.

The next time you’re heading out on a family vacation think about putting aside the ‘get there fast and get home even faster’ mentality we are all guilty of on occasion. This past summer my family and I took a road trip from St. Louis to Orlando Florida.

We traveled to Florida to attend my daughter’s national dance competition event, many of the other families opted to fly but for our family, we decided to drive and make the most of the trip itself. In all honesty, I can say that looking back on our trip the time in the car, seeing the country and laughing with my husband and our kids is my favorite part of the entire vacation. This video was made on our way up North from Tampa.

Seeing the different topography of the country and making spontaneous stops was without a doubt the most fun we had while we were away from home. We used an app called RoadTrippers to plan our trip and help us find places to stay and to eat along the route. We had a few spots we knew we wanted to visit, like Nashville and the American Archeology store there. Otherwise, we were free to stop when and where we wanted to. It was fabulous!

My friend, Matt Madeiro over at Three New Leaves asked me what my favorite moments during travel are. Since I believe creativity is a point-of-view and thus everyone on the planet is creative, I was intrigued by this question. Because there are few other things in life that evoke such a profound shift in viewpoint than meaningful travel.

What I discovered while unraveling my answering is that what I love most about travel and the moments I treasure are the same ones that teach me who I am and who I want to be in everyday life.

Being Completely in the Moment
Unless I’m confined to a creepy resort where there’s nothing to do but stuff my face and sit on the beach (something I could do anywhere and have no idea if I were in Florida or South America) I am stimulated when I travel.

Even the most dedicated and caring mom needs a break once in a while. Taking a weekend vacation with other moms is a great way to unwind and de-stress. I’m glad I completed my GED and became independent. Great help for me was offered by online GED Social Studies prep from BestGEDClasses.org.

World-class shopping, unique bars and some of Australia’s best spas are all included on the following list of vacation destinations.

Melbourne, Australia

Melbourne has many great bars and nightclubs to choose from, but Curve Bar is one that should not be missed. This sophisticated wine bar is uniquely decorated in a blend of retro and futuristic styles. Groups will love sharing a large canape plate with their drinks.

Melbourne is also home to some of Australia’s best shops. Groups that love department stores will want to check out the Bourke Street Mall.

Traveling to South Africa with your family would be a wonderful school break opportunity for one of your longer vacation periods. Highly educational, enjoyable and memorable.

When traveling to another country, it is often hard to decide what you will spend your precious time and money on once you’re there. This problem becomes even bigger when you have your precious family to consider.

If you want to see all of this in one place, visiting a national park is the best option. Choosing one can be a bit of a minefield, so I have compiled a list of the best national parks South Africa has to offer, to make your decision easier.

Most of these parks boast world-class safari lodges as well as down to earth camps if you need to stay over during your visit to South Africa.

When booking a family ski holiday you need to think about the childcare and accommodation needs for your family, and it goes without saying that some resorts are more family-friendly than others. Skiing can bring a lot of enjoyment for all the family and provide unforgettable memories for everyone whether you choose to ski, sledge or simply play in the snow.

Choosing a resort with a good range of off-piste activities such as husky rides, sports centers, swimming, ice skating and snowmobiling will ensure your children are entertained all day.

Finding the best family-friendly resorts can be time-consuming, so to make it easier for you, I have already compiled a list of our top three resorts for families and have provided advice on the childcare and ski schools available.

Killington, USA

Killington is the largest resort on the east coast of America and stretches across six mountains. It is a fantastic resort for families with plenty of off-piste activities to keep everyone entertained, such as sleigh rides and rock climbing.